Russia Fears Georgia will Use Kodori for Attacking Abkhazia

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mikhail Kaminin said on July 28 that Russia fears that Georgia will use upper Kodori Gorge for creating ?a foothold for the forceful solution of the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict.?

Kaminin said that Georgia has deployed ?a large number of armed forces? to upper Kodori Gorge, which has worsened the security situation in the area.

?It should be noted once again, that Tbilisi?s actions are nothing but a serious violation of the 1994 Moscow agreement on ceasefire and separation of forces,? Kaminin added.

The agreement bans the Georgian side from deploying its armed forces in Kodori Gorge. But the Georgian Foreign Ministry denies that Tbilisi has violated the provisions of this agreement, saying that a ?police operation? was carried out in the gorge against criminal gangs led by local warlord Emzar Kvitsiani.
 
In its information note the Russian Foreign Ministry?s spokesman also said that the situation in Kodori Gorge was discussed at the UN Security Council in New York on July 27. Georgian envoy to the UN Irakli Alasania said on July 29 that the Security Council met the Georgian authorities? police operation in Kodori gorge to restore rule and order with understanding.

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